Improvement in peeeules foe boilee tubes



@uitrit tutta @anni @fitta ELBRIDGE LAWTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ANDTHOMAS J. JONES, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIAGNORS TO O. J. EAMES,- OFNEW YORK CITY.

Letters Patent No. 63,399, dated April 2, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN FERRULES FOR BOILER TUBES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY OONOERN Bc it known that We, ELBRIDGE LAWTON, of thecity, county, and State of New York, and THOMAS J. JONES, of Summit, inthe county of Union, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Stopping Steam Boiler Tubes; and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full,vclear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and`use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part ofthis specification, in whiche- Figure 1 represents a longitudinalcentral section of the ferrule.

Figure 2 is similar' section of the plug.

Figure 3 is an end View of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in a plug or ferrule provided with ascrew-thread and projecting concave lip in' such a manner that bycutting a suitable screw-thread into the end of the boiler tube theferrule or plug can be readily screwed in, the ferrule being used if thetube leaks at thc end, and the plug if the tube leaks at some distancefrom its ends. A suitable grummet placed under the concave lip stops theleak at the end, the draught being free to pass through the ferrule andtube, or if the plug is used the tube is stopped up completely toprevent the escape of water from the interior of. the boiler. l Arepresents a boiler tube which is secured in the tube sheet B in theusual manner. If the tube becomes leaky at the end we introduce theferrule C, which is provided with a screw-thread so that it can beconveniently and quickly secured in the end of the tube, and from thisferrule projects a lip, a, with a concave annular channel in its innersurface, said channel being intended to receive a grummet, so that byscrewing the lip up against the tube sheet a steam-tight joint isproduced, and the leak is stopped without obstructing the tube. Thetubes may be formed perfectly cylindrical in shape, but we prefer givingthem' a. bulge or enlarge ment just within the tube sheets, as shown inthe drawings. By this means the tube sheets may each be held more firmlythan would otherwise be the ense, and the aperture through the tubesheet will he more completely fitted and made steam and water-tightindependently of the external contrivanees for that purpose. We areawarev that contrivances similar in purpose to that invented by us havepreviously been known. The patent oi' Leon Pierre Barre, dated March 26,1861, furnishes an example But in all these cases the ferrule which isused for this purpose is made to slide into the end of the tube. It doesnot answer the purpose of a brace or Stay to hold the tube sheet inplace, and accordingly in boilers of any considerable dimensions specialcontrivances have to bc resorted to for the purpose of preventing thebulging out of the tube sheets when the pressure of steam comes to beapplied from within. This is especially the case in Barres patent justreferred to. But by using a screw, as contemplated by us, the tubesthemselves are made to serve the purpose of stays for the tube sheets,and by their number they hold these tube sheets firmly in position, thusavoiding the necessity of additional stays or braces. These ferrulcs maybe placed on the outer side of the ends of the tubes, but we preferplacing them within, as shown in the drawings.

We do not claim the use ot' ferrules for stopping boiler tubes, as theyhave previously beenin use, when made to slide into thc end of thetubes, but what we do claim as new, and of our own invention, is-

In stopping boiler tubes we claim the use of a fcrrule, c, withprojecting lips, a a, when attached to the tubes by means of a screw cutupon its surface, so that the tubes themselves shall be made to answerthe purpose of stays or braces for the tube sheet, substantially asabove represented and set forth.

The above speciication of our invention signed by us this nineteenth dayof May, 1866.

ELBRIDGE LAWTON,

THOS. J. JONES. Witnesses:

WM. F.- McNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS..

